


Frustration and Conversation

by Mystical_giggles



Category: Anne with an E (TV)
Genre: After the day that Anne wrote the article, Anne wanted to help but it kinda backfired, Canon Compliant, F/M, Really wanted Gilbert to step up more after everything that happened in the last episode, This is basically just them having a conversation and bonding, Trigger warning: referenced sexual assault, at least until season 3 episode 6
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-28
Updated: 2019-10-28
Packaged: 2021-01-05 15:08:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,800
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21210572
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mystical_giggles/pseuds/Mystical_giggles
Summary: “I just wanted to apologize for my behavior yesterday at school.” Anne looked up and met his gaze. His eyes looked regretful and pained. “I really should have been more considerate and understanding about the situation with Josie and Billy. I just… I really have no excuse.”---------------------------------(Gilbert comes to Anne to apologize and to talk about the article Anne wrote for the paper. )TW: referenced sexual assault





	Frustration and Conversation

**Author's Note:**

> I was really unsatisfied with the new episode so I wrote this scene to cope

Anne stood by the sink and tried her best to get the dinner they’d had tonight out of the pot. It was not cooperating and she felt herself grow more and more frustrated with every second. Why did everything have to be working against her today? She put her efforts into scrubbing a particularly nasty stain off with her brush and ended up splashing water all over herself. She groaned in frustration and threw the brush in the sink, making another fountain of water splash across the counter and the floor. 

She walked backwards and fell into the chair behind her. 

It had really been a horrible day. A horrible few days really. That disgusting boy Billy had done those awful things to Josie on the night of the county fair, and people hadn’t even seemed to care about it. Then Anne herself had made a article about it in the paper and now it seemed as if everyone in Avonlea was against her! Even Josie didn’t want to talk to her! 

Not that Anne could really blame her though… She really ought to have asked Josie before writing the article to ask that it was okay with her. Even though the article wasn’t about Josie specifically, people had easily connected it to the events of the county fair. But Anne had been to frustrated and passionate to think about asking Josie. And now it had all blown up in her face.

She let out another grown and slouched even further down in the chair.

She was currently alone in the house though she guessed that would soon change. Matthew was out at the stables and Marilla was at Mrs. lynde’s house, but it was starting to get dark outside so Anne was expecting them to be home soon. 

She was just about to get up from her chair and give the pot another go when she heard a knock on the front door. She turned around to see Gilbert Blythe standing outside. He raised his hand in greeting and gave her a small smile.

Anne had to resist the urge to roll her eyes. Gilbert Blythe was the last person she wanted to talk to right now. In fact, she wasn’t sure if she ever wanted to talk to him again. She might not even want to look at him again. After that humiliating moment at the fair… or humiliating  _ moments  _ she should say. 

But still she nodded at him to open the door and so he did. He was wearing a thin blue jacket and a grey scarf that hung loosely around his neck. Even though Anne was angry with him she couldn’t ignore the little spark that sent a jolt all through her body at the sight of him.  _ Why, why, why, did he have to look so handsome? _

She silently cursed that stupid dance practice. She wished everything would go back to the way it was before it. She and Gilbert had been friends, good friends even. They had been having interesting conversations, healthy competition at school and even worked on the paper together. They had been there for each other when lovely Mary passed, and their friendship had been  _ nice _ . So why did everything have to change? Why did Gilbert have to spin her around like that? And why did he have to look at her with those eyes that made butterflies swarm in her stomach? 

Was she in love with Gilbert? Anne didn’t know. The only thing she knew was that after that dance she hadn’t been able to form one sane sentence in front of him. And now she was seemingly getting yet another opportunity to embarrass herself.

“Good evening, Anne” Gilbert said after he had closed the door behind him. 

“Good evening,” Anne said and she could tell that her voice was strained. She cleared her throat. “What can I do for you?” She wiped her hands on her apron. 

Gilbert looked at her for a second with an expression Anne couldn’t read. After a few seconds of silence he shook his head and said, “Oh.” He blinked a few times. “I actually just wanted to talk to you about something.” 

Anne was surprised. She would of thought he wanted to borrow something from Matthew or ask Marilla to care for Delphine. She hadn’t expected him to have come to see  _ her _ . 

“I’m sorry, but I’m not really in the mood for a chat right now.” She turned towards the sink and picked up the brush again. She was not in the mood to make a fool of herself, thank you very much.

She expected Gilbert to excuse himself and walk out the door again but instead he took a few more steps toward her. “Please,” he started and his voice was suddenly soft and desperate. “I just wanted to apologize for my behavior yesterday at school.” Anne looked up and met his gaze. His eyes looked regretful and pained. “I really should have been more considerate and understanding about the situation with Josie and Billy. I just… I really have no excuse.” 

Anne didn’t know what to say. This was not how she thought her evening would go, and the different turns this day had taken were starting to give her a headache. She remained silent and went back to working on her pot. She could see Gilbert rocking on the balls of his feet in the corner of her eyes, clearly trying to come up with something else to say.

“I really liked the article you wrote.” He said finally.

Anne scoffed. “I think you’re the only one.” 

She knew she was being rude but she didn’t have it in her to care at the moment. She had told Gilbert to leave and he had stayed anyway. She didn’t owe him the courtesy of being nice.

“The thing that happened,” Gilbert said. “shouldn’t happen to anyone”

Anne clenched her teeth. “No it shouldn’t.” She said shortly. 

Gilbert took another couple of steps towards her.

“Yeah!” He said. “And that’s why we need to do something,” there was a passion in his voice as he said it and for some reason it made Anne angry.

She threw the brush into the water again and turned towards him “I tried doing something about it Gilbert, and look how that turned out!” She said, her voice raised. 

It went quiet, the only sound her heavy breathing. Gilbert, shocked at her outburst, just stared at her. 

All of a sudden, Anne felt unbelievably tired. She let out a long breath and then sat down in the chair again. She suddenly felt the annoying urge to cry which was really the last thing she wanted to do right now. She had thought that her article would bring news to the awful things many women go through but instead people had made a joke of it and used it as an excuse to say some horrible things. She had tried to make everything better for Josie but instead she had just worsened the situation tremendously. Maybe Anne deserved to feel this awful for always putting her nose in everything.

Gilbert hesitated for a moment but then pulled out another chair and sat down next to her. After a few more seconds of silence, Anne said, “It’s just so awful what happened to Josie. And when something like that happens, you need all the support you can get but now the whole town has just turned against her.” She pressed her eyes shut. “when it happens… you just feel so alone and-,” she paused. “And worthless and awful.” She could feel tears pricking her eyes. “ and all you want is for someone to be on your side,” she finished in a whisper. Anne looked down at her hands as she didn’t dare meet Gilbert’s eyes. 

he silence that stretched after her words seem to go on for an eternity and just when she thought it might never end Gilbert said, “I am so sorry Anne,” his voice clear, even though it was shaking. Anne, feeling his gaze on her, looked up and met his eyes. The pained and honest expression that was written on his face almost took her breath away. She couldn’t look away and found herself mesmerized. It was as if those eyes held the answers to all of her problems. Even though they looked as if they had just heard the worst news in the world, they were still filled with warmth and gentleness, and it was all Anne could to not to get lost in them completely.

She nodded and swallowed. 

She had never told anyone about the things that had happened to her before she came to Green Gables, mostly because she wanted to forget it ever happened, and now that she had mentioned it, to Gilbert Blythe of all people, it was as if a weight had been lifted from her chest. 

Gilbert then reached out his hand and took hers where it rested in her lap. It was warm and calloused from the months at sea and the years at the farm. 

Anne looked down at them and was once again reminded of the dance. Just like that day she now marveled at the way their hands seemed to fit together perfectly.

”No one should have to go through that,” he stared into her eyes as if to make sure she knew he was being entirely honest. She nodded because she didn’t think any sound would come out if she tried to speak. 

Gilbert continued, his voice unbelievably soft. “And know that whatever you choose to do, I will support you completely. I will always be on your side.” 

Tears filled Anne’s eyes and she tightened her grip on his hand. Gilbert brought his other hand up as well so that he was now holding Anne’s hand in both of his. 

Anne felt a rush of thankfulness to the boy in front of her and a small, sad smile made its way into her lips. 

She and Gilbert were different in many ways but they were also very similar. They were both orphans and had both found a family that wasn’t related by blood. They were both good in school and had great ambitions for their future. But the thing that Anne found the most comforting about Gilbert, was the connection and understanding she knew they both shared. They understood each other in a way that Anne couldn’t explain, and even now, when Anne felt as if almost everything between them had changed and were at odds, that feeling hadn’t gone away. 

Gilbert may not be her one true love as she had thought at the county fair, but he  _ was  _ a good friend. And for that, Anne was thankful.


End file.
